The South Australian best mates returned to My Kitchen Rules hoping to beat their first-round score of 70. They ended up with 55, barely ahead of Alisha and Deanne's disastrous tart night on 54.

Suddenly, being the table's toughest critics looked like a rather awkward career choice.

The Dumplings Give Them A Chance

Angus and Simon opened with duck and shiitake dumplings, served with orange and anise sauce. There were flaws, including some heavy charring and a filling that needed work, but the flavour gave them something to build on.

Manu Feildel particularly liked the sauce and its balance of acidity. Both he and Colin Fassnidge awarded the entrée seven, putting 14 points on the board.

It was a promising start. The trouble was keeping that standard for another two courses.

Zoe Wants An Apology With Her Dinner

The boys had also made an adjustment for Zoe, preparing her entrée without duck oil. They presented it as a peace offering after the arguments about her pescatarian diet and Simon calling her the weakest link at the previous dinner.

Zoe still wanted an actual apology. Fair enough, changing the cooking oil does not quite cover the conversation.

With encouragement from the table, including Alisha and Deanne, she headed into the kitchen while the boys were cooking. She introduced herself as their favourite guest and their “weakest link, allegedly”, then pressed Simon about whether an apology would arrive with dessert.

Simon agreed they would revisit it after the final course, sealing the promise with a handshake. For now, there was still a meal to finish.

Good Lamb, Confusing Company

The main was lamb cutlets with nam jim jaew and a pickled salad, with pineapple also on the plate. The meat itself earned praise for its cooking, but the rest of the dish struggled to come together.

Manu questioned the sauce's place alongside the lamb, while Colin was unconvinced by the salad and pineapple combination. The accompaniments had given the judges more to question than to enjoy.

Both scored the main five. That early lift from the dumplings was slipping away.

The Pudding Cannot Rescue Them

For dessert, Angus and Simon served bread and butter pudding with black sesame ice cream. Making the bread themselves sounded ambitious, but its heavy texture stopped it absorbing enough custard.

That left the pudding dry and dense, a particularly unfortunate outcome for a dessert built around a good soak.

Manu gave it three and Colin four. The course added just seven points, taking the judges' combined total to 31 out of 60. Manu's individual total was 15, with Colin on 16.

One Point Of Breathing Room

The guest scores offered little comfort. Alisha and Deanne gave three, Sheridan and Ted five, Zoe and Zac five, Harrison and Oliver five, and Krysten and Lucy six.

That made 24 out of 50 from the table and a final total of 55 out of 110. Their second attempt had dropped 15 points from the first.

Simon struggled to find words. Manu had rather less trouble.

“You over-promised and under-delivered, gentlemen; you're very lucky to still be in a competition right now.”

Alisha Has One More Question

Even with the scores revealed, the apology was still waiting. Alisha brought it up again, reminding Angus and Simon that Zoe felt she was owed one.

Simon was visibly annoyed at being asked while they were absorbing their result. Manu suggested leaving it until the following day. The promised conversation would have to wait, with the boys now dealing with a bruising score as well.

Angus and Simon survived the night above Alisha and Deanne, but only by a single point. With Zoe and Zac still to host the round's final Instant Restaurant, neither South Australian team had much room to relax.

My Kitchen Rules continues Monday at 7.30pm on Seven and 7plus.